Harvest Festival

[Trickyvee]

Do they still do harvest festivals in schools now?

We all had to bring in some non-perishable goods and the name of an old person we thought deserved a bag of goodies (though what any pensioner would want with a tin of peas pudding that has been sitting in someone's cupboard for about 6 years I do not know). The stuff would be loaded into shopping bags and we'd get one to deliver to our person.

I met my best mate this way. Heading off my beaten track to make the delivery, the bag burst and all my potatoes came rolling out down the street. Spotting the drama unfolding, this girl came running over and helped me pick them all up...26 years on and we are still best friends

[Heather74]

Re: Harvest Festival

They do still have them yes

I remember my Mum raiding the cupboards for things we'd had in for months and none of us would eat, checking the sell by dates first of course!
There was always some kid in the class who's Mum had made up a great big hamper of goodies making every one else's two tins look a sorry sight.
There was also always great big loafs of plaited bread and shapes made from wheat on the display.
We also had to give names of a deserving pensioner if we knew one.
What we did do that they dont do today is delivered them as a class around the neighbourhood singing Harvest songs to the old dears as we went

[Jacqueline]

Re: Harvest Festival

You wouldn't believe the amount of stuff that gets donated that IS out of date.

Yes, some parents always seemed (and still do) to view anything like that as a competition. We used to have representatives from each class go with a couple of teachers to the old people's home/day centre that was going to receive the stuff. I don't remember having to sing though.

[Austin Maxi]

Re: Harvest Festival

I remember the Harvest festival assemblies, with all of the donated goods piled up on the stage, and you'd try and see if you could spot the tin or whatever it was you'd donated among the mountain of stuff.

I don't recall ever having to go and distribute it though, and as for singing........no.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Harvest Festival

Thinking back I'm surprised they let us do the deliveries. It wasn't during school time though. You had to go and pick up the bag at home time and deliver it on the way home. I wonder how many kids legged it home with the stuff instead.

[Richard1978]

Re: Harvest Festival

I remember one school summer fair having a donated tin stall, with the instruction that tins of baked beans would be refused.

[branny]

Re: Harvest Festival

This always reminds me of the Not the 9 o'clock news sketch with Rowan as a proest in his pulpit having a go at the congregation because half of them had turned up just to see the tv cameras. "For harvest fesival there was me, the organist and a tin of spaghetti".

[kazboot]

Re: Harvest Festival

And of course the annual singing of 'We Plough The Fields And Scatter'.

[Heather74]

Re: Harvest Festival

And of course the annual singing of 'We Plough The Fields And Scatter'.

Yes we sang that one along with Cauliflowers fluffy

We use to whisper the part about the dark potatoes then suddenly the song would get loud again

[Trickyvee]

Re: Harvest Festival

One of my favourite tunes at school. Beats the dreary 'we plough the fields and scatter'

[Jingbang]

Re: Harvest Festival

A lot of the stuff donated was usually won in a xmas hamper 9 months before at the xmas fair tombola,Some of the stuff you seemed to get rid of every year was Game soup, Marrowfat peas, a tin of Tomatoe juice, Spagehetti hoops and a Jelly in a batterd box.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Harvest Festival

This is my lasting memory of the harvest festival. They obviously still sell it and the label has never changed!

[Jingbang]

Re: Harvest Festival

What exactly is peasepuddin ?

[Trickyvee]

Re: Harvest Festival

It is a North-Eastern delicacy made by boiling up yellow split peas in the water used for boiling ham until the peas are smooth and lump-free. Commonly spread on ham sandwiches!

It's really nice if home made or bought fresh. Here you can buy it fresh in Tesco, but I don't know if you can elsewhere in the country. Tinned isn't good.

[HG]

Re: Harvest Festival

I think it's horrible stuff, got fed it as a kid and not touched it since (would insert puke smilie here if there was one )